This invention relates to a direct-mounting connector-fitting structure in which at least one of a pair of connectors is fixed to a board.
There is already known a direct-mounting connector which is fixed to a board (see, for example, Patent Literatures 1 and 2). FIG. 16 is an exploded, perspective view of a direct-mounting connector disclosed in Patent Literature 1, FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of an important portion of the direct-mounting connector of FIG. 16, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of an important portion, showing a condition in which the direct-mounting connector of FIG. 16 is mounted on a board, and is disposed in a connected condition. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of an important portion of a printed circuit board connection structure disclosed in Patent Literature 2.
As shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, a connector body 101 of the electric connector 100 comprises one end-side member 102, and the other end-side member 103. First terminal holding portions 105 are provided at the one end-side member 102, and one end portions of terminals 110 are press-fitted respectively into the first terminal holding portions 105 from the other end side of the connector body 101. Second terminal holding portions 104 are provided at the other end-side member 103, and the other end portions of the terminals 110 are press-fitted respectively into the second terminal holding portions 104 from the one end-side of the connector body 101. The other end portions of the terminals 110 are soldered to one board 120, and in this condition the electric connector 100 is connected to a mating connector 130 mounted on another board 121.
In this electric connector 100, the terminals 110 are firmly held in the connector body 101 against movement in a direction of inserting and withdrawing of mating terminals 131 of the mating connector 130. Therefore, a force, applied from the terminals 110 to the boards 120 and 121 when inserting and withdrawing of the mating terminals 131, is reduced.
The printed circuit board connection structure, shown in FIG. 19, is used to connect two printed circuit boards 140 and 141 together. A header 150, provided at one printed circuit board 140, is joined to a socket 151 provided at the other printed circuit board 141, thereby connecting the two printed circuit boards 140 and 141 together.
Namely, the header 150 is provided in an insertion hole 142 formed through the one printed circuit board 140. The header 150 includes posts 152 having terminal plates 153 projecting from the header 150. The terminal plates 153 are mounted on an outer surface of the one printed circuit board 140 facing away from the other printed circuit board 141.
The socket 151 is provided on an outer surface of the other printed circuit board 141, and contains contacts 154. Terminal plates 155 of the contacts 154 project from the socket 151, and are mounted on the other printed circuit board 141. Patent Literature 1: JP-A-2002-158070 (FIGS. 3 and 4) Patent Literature 2: JP-A-8-250240
However, each of the above related electric connector 100 (shown in FIGS. 16 to 18) and the above related printed circuit board connection structure (shown in FIG. 19) is not provided with any structure for absorbing a positional error and a mounting error of the boards 120 and 121, 140 and 141 during the fitting of the connectors. Therefore, there has been encountered a problem that strains of various portions of the connector due to the positional error and a mounting error of the boards 120 and 121, 140 and 141 inevitably develop during the fitting of the connector.
The development of the strains in the various portions of the connector adversely affects the displacement of the female terminals (which is effected when the female terminals are connected to the male terminals), and also adversely affects the connected condition of the male and female terminals. And besides, the connector housing is deflected, and also stresses act on the soldered portions, and this has invited a problem that the durability of the connector is lowered.